Documentary film 'Who Bombed Judi Bari?' plays in Arcata

It's been 15 years since the passing of Earth First! organizer Judi Bari and the question of just who placed a bomb in a car carrying Bari and fellow Earth First! member Darryl Cherney still generates curiosity.

"Who bombed Judi Bari?," a 93-minute documentary produced by Cherney will be shown 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Arcata Playhouse as well as March 13 to 15 at the Garberville Theater.

Bari, who died from cancer in 1997, was injured in the summer of 1990, known as "Redwood Summer" for a series of forest-related protests, when a bomb exploded in the car carrying Bari and Cherney through Oakland.

" 'Who Bombed Judi Bari?' is actually narrated by Judi Bari herself using footage taken at her deathbed testimony in her civil rights lawsuit against the FBI and Oakland Police," according to the announcement. "In 2002, a federal jury found three FBI agents and three Oakland officers guilty of violating Bari and Cherney's civil rights in order to silence them. Law enforcement falsely accused the Earth First!ers of car-bombing themselves while they were on a musical roadshow to promote a series of protests known as Redwood Summer 1990, which ultimately attracted thousands of activities."

The film examines Bari's early days as a union organizer, her efforts to oppose corporate redwood logging and her federal trial against the FBI and Oakland police, an action that Cherney carried on following Bari's death.

The film premiered last week at the San Francisco Green Film Festival and at the DC Independent Film Festival on the East Coast. Screenings are scheduled at the Santa Cruz Film Festival and the Santa Rosa International Film Festival. For more information, visit http://whobombedjudibari.com.